Evil Omens
| rarity = Very Rare | type = Global Enchantment | casting_cost = | upkeep_cost = | research_cost = | effects = All and spells' Casting Costs are increased by 50%. This applies to all wizards, both on the overland map and during combat. }} Evil Omens is a Very Rare Global Enchantment belonging to the realm. It may be cast on the overland map for the base Casting Cost of . While Evil Omens is in play, the Casting Cost of all and spells is increased by 50%. In other words, casting these spells costs 50% more than it would otherwise. This applies to all spells from these two Realms, and to all wizards including Evil Omens' caster. It even applies during battle. The Upkeep Costs of these spells are not affected. Evil Omens has an Upkeep Cost of , to be paid every turn to keep it in play. Effects Evil Omens weakens the connections between the Realms of and and the worlds of Arcanus and Myrror, making it more difficult to draw the magical energy out of those Realms to be used as spells in the game world. As a result, the Casting Cost of spells from these Realms is significantly increased. Casting Cost Increase While Evil Omens is in effect, the Casting Cost of all and spells is increased by 50%. In other words, when any wizard attempts to cast any spell belonging to either Realm, he/she must pay 50% more to complete the spell - compared to the amount he/she would've paid if Evil Omens was not in effect. For example, if a spell normally costs to cast (after all other Casting Cost modifiers have been applied) it will now cost to cast. The effect applies to all wizards equally. Therefore, if Evil Omens' caster can use spells, they too will cost 50% more. Naturally, a wizard who can cast Evil Omens cannot use spells anyway. The effect applies during battle just as it does during on the overland map. This effectively means that - and -wielding wizards can cast fewer spells during combat. Evil Omens' effect is not cumulative: if two or more different wizards have Evil Omens in play at the same time, the Casting Cost of and spells is still increased by only 50%. Usage Evil Omens may be cast only on the overland map, for the high Casting Cost of . To keep Evil Omens in effect, the casting wizard must pay an Upkeep Cost of exactly per turn. Failure to pay this cost due to lack of will cause the spell to dissipate. After casting the spell, its name will appear on the "Overland Enchantments" list in the Magic menu. The color in which the name is printed indicates which wizard controls the spell. If the player controls the spell, he or she may cancel it manually by clicking the name of the spell. The primary reason to do this would be in order to remove the spell's Upkeep Cost, thus conserving for other spells. Acquisition As a Very Rare spell, Evil Omens may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least Spellbooks. However, its availability during the game is not guaranteed unless the Wizard acquires at least Spellbooks. Evil Omens may not be acquired at the start of the campaign regardless of how many Spellbooks the wizard possesses. It must either be Researched during the game, or acquired through other means. Wizards with to Spellbooks have a random chance of being able to Research Evil Omens during the game. The chance for this spell to appear for research increases with the number of Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay. With or Spellbooks, the spell is guaranteed to appear for Research at some point, if it is not already available for casting. Evil Omens has a base Research Cost of . With at least Spellbooks, the Evil Omens spell may be acquired as a reward for winning encounters in creature Lairs, Towers, et cetera, or when conquering the Fortress of a rival wizard who has already researched this spell. Strategy Evil Omens is a good spell to cast and keep in play whenever there are rival - and -wielding wizards in the game - and especially when a rival wizard uses spells from both realms. Evil Omens slows down the progress of that wizard's empire, as he/she would need to gather considerably more to be able to afford casting spells. Increased Casting Cost also means that the wizard takes more time to cast such spells, based on his/her Spell Skill. During combat, such a wizard will not be able to cast as many spells as normal - even if he/she has plenty of available. Remember that Evil Omens affects all players simultaneously, including its caster. Therefore, wizards employing both and spells (often a deadly combination) are hurting themselves to some extent by casting this spell, since it also increases their own spells' Casting Costs. Naturally, there are no wizards who can use both and spells (this is illegal), so the above only applies to / combo wizards. Also note that if a rival has cast Evil Omens, there is little need to cast another instance of this spell, as they are not cumulative. The only reason to cast your own instance of the spell is to ensure that the effect remains in play if the rival wizard, for any reason, decides to cancel their instance (or if it gets Disjuncted). Category:Global Enchantments Category:Death